High cost for rush week at University of Arkansas
 

So im leavin in a little less than 2 weeks to be a freshman at the university of arkansas. Im considering joining a fraternity but I have no idea if actually want to or not and I was just going to let rush week be the judge of that. However, when I went to sign up for rush week it said theres a $100 fee, ive talked to all my friends going different places (lsu ut, arizona state etc) and they all said their rush week is free or maybe like 10 or 15 bucks. Im pretty low on funds as it is and like I said I have no idea if I want to join a fraternity. Anyway, if you were in my position would you put out the $100? Thanks

I haven't heard of rush fees being that high. Wow.

And whether or not we'd do it is irrelevant because, well, most of us are already in GLOs. You have to determine if it's something you really want to do. If it is, you'll have to shell out the $100.

FYI - Semester/Yearly dues are going to be significantly higher than the $100. Take that into account as well.

Good luck.

This isn't to answer your question but the fee for rush at my school is also right at $100 for sororities & fraternities. So you're not the only one!

From what I remember hearing on GC Arkansas has a formal fraternity recruitment which might explain it. Do they put you up in dorms before the semester starts?

yea, I move in the 17th and rush week isnt until early september.

It might even be 100 now, even more later. It was 80$ if you sign up early, and then a hundred later on.

But look at it this way, you get at least two shirts and a ton of awesome food. To be honest, it is expensive JUST TO RUSH. But fraternities are expensive things and if that's not something you want to pay at least once a month (and probably alot alot alot more), fraternities might not be in the price range. Arkansas fraternities can be kind of expensive

Let us know how your rush goes.

Woo Pig Sooie sure gets to me, Go Hogs Go.

@Psi U and yes, rush is formal but starts after school...as late as October one year. They don't have to "put them up" in dorms, they already live in them.
@Nathan: Yes, I would do it after knowing how great of an experience it is. But the price can be a bit daunting before rush.

Yea, its 100 now and 125 after the 25th. I know they can be expensive my parents are paying for it if I join, but I have to pay to rush. I think im gonna do it and just accept Im gonna be even more broke than I currently am but at least I wont regret not doing it.

@elephantwalk: I assume you go or went to arkansas? I cant wait to get up there, the campus is just beautiful

Elephant Walk may know for sure, but you may want to check with the Arkansas Greek Life office about possible payment plans for the fee. It might be that you can put X dollars down now, and paying the remaining balance later. Perhaps without being assessed an additional late fee.

I would definitely pay the $100 to go through. A lot of guys don't like formal rush (I have a ton of friends in fraternities at Big 12 schools that went through informal) but the idea works perfectly for people like you. You don't sound like you know where you want to go (sorry if I'm wrong here) and through rush you get to meet everyone and decide where you feel you fit in best. Woo Pig Sooie!!!

That should be process.

Yes sir. Graduated last year.

I'm hoping to make the move permanently back to Northwest Arkansas as soon as possible.

Although I don't know for a fact, I would sincerely doubt it would be the case. Parice is barely able to keep the payments straight as it is, much less multiple payments.

Exactly. She's got it right. That's the beauty of formal rush. The fraternities get to pick over some of the slop for diamonds in the rough they missed and rushees get to meet people from all the houses.

^^^ Random question.... how many meals does the fee pay for? It really doesn't sound that expensive for me when you consider all the little orientation fees and activity fees that sneak up on you at the start of college.

So you have to pay this fee before rush week or before the semester starts? and does the school get it and then give it to the organizations?

No, it's paid to the campus IFC. They use it for the costs incurred in putting on formal rush. No individual fraternity gets it.

One for each night of rush, so four nights I believe.

It doesn't actually "pay for a meal", the fraternities bring in food (sometimes catered, sometimes their own chef) during rush. The middle "party" (these aren't actually parties in the booze/women sense, but thats what they call 'em), you always eat there at the house. Some houses are famous for what they serve during the party. One has steak and sushi, while AGR (agri/social country fraternity) always does their famous catfish that all the Rho Chi's try to run to their house during the middle meal. Some rushees even intentionally keep AGR just so they can eat that meal.

Before rush week, but you can pay for it before the semester starts.

The IFC keeps the money.

This is way better than sorority formal recruitment.

Couple of questions

1) What is usually the dress code for rush week? I know suits/blazers are involved sometime but are button up and regular polos okay for the other days?
2) If I know a good amount of people in a fraternity, does that make it easier to get a bid?

Random musing that really has nothing to do with this thread:

When did these

http://store.fkokids.com/images/Boys...xford%20Bl.jpg

stop being called a "button-down" and start being called a "button-up"?

Or are they really two different things and I am older and more clueless than I thought?

Some people button them down and some people button them up. :)

I think that also might come from people saying "button up" when talking about the collar and chest region of the shirt. Don't quote me on that.

It might be regional, I call them oxfords or button downs.

Yes.

You'll want to wear shorts and a polo/oxford for the first two days. I can't remember the dress code on the third day, but I think it might be tucked-in oxford, and khakis (actually I'm pretty sure that's the case). The last day is blazer/suits deal.

Oh and something very important:
Bid Day has gotten very lame over the last few years and after receiving the bid you have to go straight to the game. No puking, no passing out at 4 in the afternoon. Because of that, on bid day you have to wear a red/white polo and red/white shorts. Parice has required it the last two years and as long as bid day remains the same, thats how it will be. So remember to bring that (though you'll want them anyway to wear to the games regardless of the bid day, while you're rushing). While you're a pledge you will likely be required to wear at least a red tie, white oxford (maybe a sport coat) to most home games, so I would recommend buying those things as well. Even if you pledge one of the few fraternities who doesn't require that, you can always outclass your other pledge brothers...so they're good investments.

Unless they hate you, perhaps it makes it easier.

But you'll want to visit alot of the houses during their non-dry parties and try to figure out which ones you want and meet more people.

Most of my male friends who were not in my fraternity or in FYE, I met through rush (either rushing or rushing me).

I have two questions also.

1)What will the rush parities be like?
2)And during rush are all the events dry?

I'll give you a complete run-down of the party, I've had experience as a Rush Counselor (Rho Chi), Rushee, and Rusher.

You line up outside of the house until the Rho Chi says to go in. You walk into the house and you shake damn near everyones hand in the fraternity and your rush group (rush group will in total probably be about forty guys) sits in the middle of the room with the fraternity surrounding the walls. A speaker will say something like "Welcome to Rush", then everyone will say "how bout this fucking group" and clap for awhile. "How bout this fuckin group" is said at like every rush party for every fraternity about twenty times each party. Then someone will give a speech about history of the house how they party "harder than fuckin anyone", for about five-seven minutes. After they speak, they say "stand up and meet the guys" and then you awkwardly talk to other guys until the twenty minutes of the party are up*.

*After the first round substitute twenty for thirty minutes, and after the second round substitute twenty for an hour and a half.

By the way, these rush parties get rowdy as fuck. One house had a guy cut his wrists open accidentally when he smashed his hands through a glass door banging on it, he accidentally sprayed blood on a few of the rushees. Fraternity members will be like jumping into the crowd, pushing you and shoving you to get into the house. AGR enjoys revving up a chainsaw inside the house and throwing tvs out their windows while all the pledges are waiting outside. (oh and the guy who intentionally runs head-first into a wall every year) And cutting down ficus trees with weedeaters and stuff. I swear some of these houses scared the piss out of me as a rushee.

It depends on how you define "rush". And who you're talking about when you mean dry. The formal rush week (that is, these parties that I just mentioned above) is dry for rushees. Most fraternities (and the Rho Chis, really) are shitfaced. But you're sober.

If you mean the weeks running up to rush week, no none of the events are dry. For the first weeks up until formal rush week, you will be hammered (if you choose to) every night from going to random get togethers at the houses. Each house is alotted one party before rush (and it's usually an absolute blow out), but people are partying every night whether or not theres a registered party going on.

Thanks for the info guys.

About the games...is a dark blue blazer acceptable? Considering that combined with the red tie is kind of Ole Miss colors? Would you recommend investing in a black one?

Blue should be fine.

If you happen to be out and happen to have the money, a black one is good to have just to have for any occasion, including games. I didn't wear a blazer after freshman year, but did wear a tie, oxford and seersucker/khaki for most games.

That is bullshit.

I assume the IFC also charges each chapter member dues, as well as charges each new member higher "new member dues" once they get in.

Hold a fund-raiser for God-sake.

They do, but they do good work so I don't think anyone can complain.

They're good to us, provide alot of protection from the University, and keep us in-line as well.

May I add a woman's perspective regarding suits? If you choose to wear one (you should have at least one in your wardrobe anyway), please spend the extra money and get it tailored.

hahaha, yes. I just had a date with a grown ass man who needs this advice - he looked like a little boy wearing his dad's suit. And he lives in a rich area and has a decent job for crying out loud.

Don't assume that suit you wore to the Christmas semiformal your senior year of HS still fits. Guys keep growing longer than girls do.

I had to pay $50 when i rushed last fall at my school they used it towards the up keeping (lights water etc.) of which ever house you end up going to.. which after you become a member and dont live in the house its like $150

A parlor fee is what its called

I say button down, but it's really potato-potahto

I would only call it an oxford if it's a button down made of oxford cloth with a button down collar. Anything else is just a "button down."

/hijack

Is this a typo? - when you 1st came on GC you said you pledged at LSU and then transfered to Arkansas.

Same here. This thread is the first time I've ever heard a shirt referred to as a button-up.

You button up a shirt or a jacket; you button down a collar, and the style of collar is what button-down refers to.

I was wondering this, too.

On another note, is Arkansas Fraternity Recruitment the most structured in the country? What other schools also have a "formal" recruitment?

LSU has a formal rush, but there was no registration fee. The PNMs will have a Rho Chi and visit all 20 fraternities over 2 days for Round 1. For Round 2, they will accept a maximum of 6 invitations and in Round 3 they will accept a maximum of 3 invitations. After all the parties, they will submit their preferential rankings and pick up bids the following day.

^^I seem to remember some of EW's background being tongue-in-cheek. Or he purposely changed some of the details to avoid being identified by someone at his school.

A lot of schools have men's formal recruitment as an option. My school did it in the summer—guys would visit all the houses and narrow down from there. Some houses didn't participate past the first day if they already had their pledge classes (mostly) set. No quota.

When asked by a fraternity member from Arkansas what fraternity he was in, he said he was "A Kappa Sig from LSU that refuses to re-affiliate with shanes" (here). I don't know that I'd consider that tongue-in-cheek.

I was thinking the same thing.

Maybe they do this to keep the overall numbers limited to only people who are serious about pledging.

I'd pay $100 for this even if I didn't plan on joining a Fraternity. Hell I would consider doing it all 4 years just for the food.